The Covenant of Baha'u'llah
by Adib Taherzadeh
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chapter 24 | start page | single page | chapter 26 |  |
Chapter 25
Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Faith
Shoghi Effendi was born on 1 March 1897 into the household of Abdu'l-Bahá in the prison city of Akka. He was a descendant of both Bahá'u'lláh and the Bab. His mother Diya'iyyih Khanum was the eldest daughter of Abdu'l-Bahá. His father Mirza Hadi Shirazi was an Afnan, a grandson of Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, who was a cousin of the mother of the Bab and a brother of His wife. Thus Abdu'l-Bahá describes Shoghi Effendi as 'the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the twin surging seas ... the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the twin holy Trees." [25-1]Knowing full well the glorious mission which the Almighty had destined for His first grandson, Abdu'l-Bahá extended to him from the time he was born a special measure of care and love, and kept him under the wings of His protection. A few of those who had been admitted to the presence of Bahá'u'lláh and who were endowed with spiritual insight observed that the same relationship which existed between Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá[1] was also apparent between Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. That deep sense of humility and utter nothingness which Abdu'l-Bahá manifested toward His Father and which was reciprocated by Him through an outpouring of bounty and love, was likewise established between the young grandchild and his beloved Master. But in order to avoid creating jealousy in the family, Abdu'l-Bahá was cautious of openly showing the intensity of His love for Shoghi Effendi. In spite of this, those believers who were endowed with discernment had noticed this special relationship and had no doubt that the reins of the Cause of God would one day be placed in the hands of Shoghi Effendi.
[1 See above, ch. 9.]
Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali and Dr Yunis Khan were among these enlightened believers. The famous poet and devoted promoter of the Cause Andalib saw signs of his future glory as Shoghi Effendi lay in his cradle, and he composed a most delightful lullaby, a song of praise and victory for him. Abdu'l-Bahá conferred upon His first grandchild the name 'Shoghi (one who longs), but commanded everyone to add the title 'Effendi'[1] after his name. He even told the father of Shoghi Effendi not to call him merely 'Shoghi'. The Master Himself called him Shoghi Effendi when he was only a child, and wrote this prayer which reveals His cherished hopes for the future of His first grandchild.
[1 'Effendi' is a title which is given to people as a term of respect.]
"...O God! This is a branch sprung from the tree of Thy mercy. Through Thy grace and bounty enable him to grow and through the showers of Thy generosity cause him to become a verdant, flourishing, blossoming and fruitful branch. Gladden the eyes of his parents, Thou Who giveth to whomsoever Thou willest, and bestow upon him the name Shoghi so that he may yearn for Thy Kingdom and soar into the realms of the unseen!" [25-2]
From his early childhood, Shoghi Effendi developed a passionate love for Abdu'l-Bahá. Their relationship was unlike that between any other child and his grandfather; it was a spiritual force, a heavenly power which linked Shoghi Effendi with his beloved Master. It was this degree of attachment and humble devotion which was reminiscent of Abdu'l-Bahá's own attitude toward Bahá'u'lláh. Mrs Ella Goodall Cooper, one of the distinguished believers of the West who attained the presence of Abdu'l-Bahá in Akka in 1899, has recounted her impressions of Shoghi Effendi as a child when he came into a room to pay his respects to the Master. This took place in the house of Abdu'llah Pasha.
"One day ... I had joined the ladies of the Family in the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf for early morning tea, the beloved Master was sitting in His favourite corner of the divan where, through the window on His right, He could look over the ramparts and see the blue Mediterranean beyond. He was busy writing Tablets, and the quiet peace of the room was broken only by the bubble of the samovar, where one of the young maidservants, sitting on the floor before it, was brewing the tea.
"Presently the Master looked up from His writing with a smile, and requested Ziyyih Khanum to chant a prayer. As she finished, a small figure appeared in the open doorway, directly opposite Abdu'l-Bahá. Having dropped off his shoes he stepped into the room, with his eyes focused on the Master's face. Abdu'l-Bahá returned his gaze with such a look of loving welcome it seemed to beckon the small one to approach Him. Shoghi, that beautiful little boy, with his exquisite cameo face and his soulful appealing, dark eyes, walked slowly toward the divan, the Master drawing him as by an invisible thread, until he stood quite close in front of Him. As he paused there a moment Abdu'l-Bahá did not offer to embrace him but sat perfectly still, only nodding His head two or three times, slowly and impressively, as if to say — 'You see? This tie connecting us is not just that of a physical grandfather but something far deeper and more significant.' While we breathlessly watched to see what he would do, the little boy reached down and picking up the hem of Abdu'l-Bahá's robe he touched it reverently to his forehead, and kissed it, then gently replaced it, while never taking his eyes from the adored Master's face. The next moment he turned away, and scampered off to play, like any normal child... At that time he was Abdu'l-Bahá's only grandchild ... and, naturally, he was of immense interest to the pilgrims." [25-3]
This attitude of humility and profound reverence toward the Master was one of the most outstanding features of the life and personality of Shoghi Effendi till the end of his life.
When Shoghi Effendi was a child, a Persian believer asked Abdu'l-Bahá about the future of the Cause after Him. In a Tablet He wrote;
"...Know verily that this is a well-guarded secret. It is even as a gem concealed within its shell. That it will be revealed is predestined. The time will come when its light will appear, when its evidences will be made manifest, and its secrets unravelled." [25-4]
Another believer from America wrote to the Master that from the study of the Bible one gathers that the prophecy of Isaiah 'a little child shall lead them' [25-5] relates to the time after Abdu'l-Bahá, and wanted to know if this referred to a real person who would succeed Him. In answer to this, the following Tablet was written:
"O Maidservant of God!
"Verily, that child is born and is alive and from him will appear wondrous things that thou wilt hear of in the future. Thou shalt behold him endowed with the most perfect appearance, supreme capacity, absolute perfection, consummate power and unsurpassed might. His face will shine with a radiance that illumines all the horizons of the world; therefore forget this not as long as thou dost live inasmuch as ages and centuries will bear traces of him.
Upon thee be greetings and praise Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas" [25-6]
Dr Yunis Khan, who was not aware of this Tablet, once received a letter from an American believer saying that some of the friends had heard that the one who would succeed the Master had been born recently. At first, Dr Yunis Khan found it very difficult to mention this to Abdu'l-Bahá, because he could not bring himself to think of a day when the Master would pass away. After some days, he mentioned the question timorously and in a low voice, whereupon Abdu'l-Bahá responded in the affirmative and said: 'The triumph of the Cause of God is in his hands.'
Shoghi Effendi grew up in the household of Abdu'l-Bahá under His care and protection, but his childhood years were spent in Akka during the time when the Master and His family were incarcerated within the walls of the City and subjected to violent opposition by the Covenant-breakers. Great dangers surrounded the Holy Family. Thus Shoghi Effendi experienced, from the early years of his life, the venomous assaults launched against the Cause by the violators of the Covenant. When at one point the situation in Akka became too dangerous and unbearable, Abdu'l-Bahá sent Shoghi Effendi to Haifa with his nurse; here he lived until the Master was released from imprisonment and the Holy Family moved there permanently.
Concerning Shoghi Effendi's schooling Ruhiyyih Khanum writes:
"Shoghi Effendi entered the best school in Haifa, the College des Freres, conducted by the Jesuits. He told me he had been very unhappy there. Indeed, I gathered from him that he never was really happy in either school or university. In spite of his innately joyous nature, his sensitivity and his background — so different from that of others in every way — could not but set him apart and give rise to many a heart-ache; indeed, he was one of those people whose open and innocent hearts, keen minds and affectionate natures seem to combine to bring upon them more shocks and suffering in life than is the lot of most men. Because of his unhappiness in this school Abdu'l-Bahá decided to send him to Beirut where he attended another Catholic school as a boarder, and where he was equally unhappy. Learning of this in Haifa the family sent a trusted Bahá'à woman to rent a home for Shoghi Effendi in Beirut and take care of and wait on him. It was not long before she wrote to his father that he was very unhappy at school, would refuse to go to it sometimes for days, and was getting thin and run down. His father showed this letter to Abdu'l-Bahá Who then had arrangements made for Shoghi Effendi to enter the Syrian Protestant College, which had a school as well as a university, later known as the American College in Beirut, and which the Guardian entered when he finished what was then equivalent to the high school. Shoghi Effendi spent his vacations at home in Haifa, in the presence as often as possible of the grandfather he idolized and Whom it was the object of his life to serve. The entire course of Shoghi Effendi's studies was aimed by him at fitting himself to serve the Master, interpret for Him and translate His letters into English." [25-7]
Shoghi Effendi received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Beirut in 1918. He was then able to return to Haifa and serve the Master, which he did uninterruptedly, day and night, with a devotion that knew no bounds. Not only did he serve Him as secretary and translator of His Tablets into English, he also attended to many other duties which he took upon himself in order to assist the Master in His manifold activities. He did this with characteristic sincerity, promptness, and thoroughness, and brought great joy to the heart of the Master. The following story told by Ruhiyyih Khanum demonstrates Shoghi Effendi's earnestness and perseverance in his work throughout his life.
"Although the Master's work had now increased to such an extent that many people were engaged in constantly serving and assisting Him, there can be no doubt that no one compared with Shoghi Effendi. I remember the Guardian telling me of how (I believe it must have been in early 1920) one of the old American Bahá'Ãs had sent a gift to the Master of a Cunningham automobile; notice of its arrival at the quayside in port came just as the weekend commenced and the Master gave Shoghi Effendi instructions to see that it was cleared and delivered to the house. Shoghi Effendi told me that although the next day there were no high officials in the port and it was not a business day, he succeeded in getting the car delivered and when it arrived he went to the Master and informed Him it was outside the door. He said the Master was very surprised and immensely pleased and asked him how he had succeeded in doing this. Shoghi Effendi told Him he had taken the papers and gone to the homes of various officials, asking them to sign the documents and give the necessary orders for the car of Sir Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas to be delivered to Him at once. This was typical of the way Shoghi Effendi did his work throughout his entire life. He always wanted everything done at once, if not sooner, and everything he had any personal control over progressed at that speed." [25-8]
For a period of two years, until 1920, Shoghi Effendi was the constant companion of Abdu'l-Bahá. He accompanied his grandfather when He visited high ranking government officials or religious dignitaries, and saw how the Master treated His friends and dealt with His enemies. In all these encounters, Shoghi Effendi observed the manner in which Abdu'l-Bahá conducted Himself, with that majesty and authority which were characteristic of His Person. This period, which brought Shoghi Effendi so close to the Master and linked his heart with His, were among the most fertile years of his life. But this intimate association, in the course of which Abdu'l-Bahá bountifully endowed the future Guardian of the Cause of God with special powers and capacities, irrevocably came to an end when it was decided that Shoghi Effendi should enter Oxford University in England to perfect his English in order to achieve his heart's desire to better translate the Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá and other holy writings.
Shoghi Effendi left the Holy Land in the spring of 1920 and began his studies at Balliol College in the autumn of that year. During his short stay in Oxford — a little over one year — he concentrated all his energies on mastering the English language. But he could not complete his education, for the plan of God cut across his plans in a most painful way when Abdu'l-Bahá passed away.
Accompanied by his sister Ruhangiz and by Lady Blomfield, Shoghi Effendi sailed from England on 16 December and arrived in Haifa on the 29th, one month after the passing of the Master. The agony of bereavement had taken its toll, and Shoghi Effendi was physically a broken man. So frail was he that he had to be assisted up the steps of his home on his arrival. Grief-stricken by the absence of the Master, he then had to be confined to bed for a number of days.
The Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá was awaiting the arrival of Shoghi Effendi to be opened. Concerning this, Ruhiyyih Khanum writes:
"When Abdu'l-Bahá so unexpectedly and quietly passed away, after no serious illness, the distracted members of His family searched His papers to see if by chance He had left any instructions as to where He should be buried. Finding none, they entombed Him in the centre of the three rooms adjacent to the inner Shrine of the Bab. They discovered His Will — which consists of three Wills written at different times and forming one document — addressed to Shoghi Effendi. It now became the painful duty of Shoghi Effendi to hear what was in it; a few days after his arrival they read it to him. In order to understand even a little of the effect this had on him we must remember that he himself stated on more than one occasion, not only to me, but to others who were present at the table of the Western Pilgrim House, that he had had no foreknowledge of the existence of the Institution of Guardianship, least of all that he was appointed as Guardian; that the most he had expected was that perhaps, because he was the eldest grandson, Abdu'l-Bahá might have left instructions as to how the Universal House of Justice was to be elected and he might have been designated the one to see these were carried out and act as Convenor of the gathering which would elect it." [25-9 ]
The belief that the Universal House of Justice would come into being immediately after the passing of Abdu'l-Bahá was not uncommon among the Bahá'Ãs. Many of them thought this would happen, and soon after Shoghi Effendi's appointment a few ambitious individuals such as Avarih and Ahmad Sohrab[1] tried to insist that the House of Justice should be formed without delay. It is interesting to note that the Master, when in America, spoke to a few friends about the protection of the Faith and the role of the Universal House of Justice in securing this. Here is a summary translation of His words as recorded by Mirza Mahmud Zarqani, the faithful chronicler of His journeys to the West:
[1 See below, chs. 30 md 31.]
"In the car, on the way to the hotel, Abdu'l-Bahá expressed His deep concern about the future of the Cause and said: 'I have endured hardships on this journey in order that no breaches may take place within the Cause of God. But I am not optimistic about the turn of events after Me. If I were certain that all would be well, I would not have left the Holy Land, I would have stayed there close to the Holy Shrine. After the martyrdom of the Bab, the Cause of God for the first time came under strong attack by Mirza Yahya. Another time after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh it was severely assailed by the Covenant-breakers. I am now afraid that after Me some egotistical persons might make fresh attempts to introduce divisions within the community of the friends. If the time were propitious, the House of Justice could be brought into being and it would protect the Cause.'" [25-10]
The Master knew well that Covenant-breakers old and new would renew their onslaught against the Cause of God. From the way the institutions of the Faith have developed since the ascension of Abdu'l-Bahá, it can be seen that it was not timely then to establish the Universal House of Justice straight away. In His wisdom He knew that the Faith first needed a Guardian, whose purpose would be, on the one hand, to lay the foundation of the Administrative Order for future generations to build upon, and, on the other, to wipe out the evils of Covenant-breaking in the Holy Land.
Although the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá was read out to Shoghi Effendi soon after his arrival in Haifa, it had to be formally presented to the members of the Family and others in the Holy Land. On 3 January 1922 in the presence of nine persons, mainly senior members of Abdu'l-Bahá's family, and in Shoghi Effendi's absence the Will and Testament was read aloud, and its seal, signature and handwriting were shown to them. Later, the Greatest Holy Leaf sent cables to Persia and America — the two major communities at that time — informing them that according to the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi was appointed 'Guardian of the Cause of God'.
A major source of consolation and support for Shoghi Effendi from the time he returned to the Holy land until the end of her earthly life in 1932 was the Greatest Holy Leaf, the adored sister of Abdu'l-Bahá. She, the most outstanding woman in the Bahá'à Dispensation, was a tower of strength for everyone. And now that the Master had gone to His heavenly abode, the burden of many responsibilities, and, especially in the early days, the protection of the Guardian from the assaults of the Covenant-breakers, were placed upon her shoulders.
Ruhiyyih Khanum writes:
"Immediately after these events Shoghi Effendi selected eight passages from the Will and circulated them among the Bahá'Ãs; only one of these referred to himself, was very brief and was quoted as follows. 'O ye the faithful loved ones of Abdu'l-Bahá! It is incumbent upon you to take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi... For he is, after Abdu'l-Bahá, the guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnan, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him.' Of all the thundering and tremendous passages in the Will referring to himself, Shoghi Effendi chose the least astounding and provocative to first circulate among the Bahá'Ãs. Guided and guiding he was from the very beginning. [25-11]
The Bahá'à world was now embarking upon a new age, but as in those days after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh when the community had entered a prolonged period of tests and trials, the Will and Testament likewise provided the same challenges to the Bahá'Ãs. We have discussed in some detail the significance of the Will and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh, and that of Abdu'l-Bahá, and how these two Wills acted as examination papers for the followers of Bahá'u'lláh. Before they were issued, every believer was part of the community of the Most Great Name, and there was no division, but after their contents became known; the unfaithful failed the tests of the Covenant; they were cast out and the community was purged.
The news of Shoghi Effendi's appointment as Guardian of the Cause of God was hailed by the entire Bahá'à world. There were nevertheless some faithless individuals, motivated by their ambition to emerge as leaders of the community, who arose in opposition to Shoghi Effendi and despite all his efforts to save them, proved unrepentant and were expelled from the community. However, it took some time before these egotistical personalities surfaced and launched their attacks.
There was another category of people, who, although they did not openly oppose Shoghi Effendi in those early days, ultimately revealed their lack of faith in him as the Guardian of the Cause of God. These included most of the members of Abdu'l-Bahá's family. They failed to see Shoghi Effendi in the light of Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament in which he is referred to, among other things, as the 'Sign of God', the 'expounder of the Words of God' and the 'Light that ... shineth from the Dayspring of Divine Guidance'. These people contended that since Shoghi Effendi was only a youth, he ought to establish the House of Justice so that it could assist him in his work. In later years, one by one, the members of the family rose up against Shoghi Effendi, violated the Covenant, and were responsible for the greatest of sufferings which were inflicted upon him during his ministry.
But the immediate opposition came from the old, established Covenant-breakers, especially Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, his brother and his associates. These unscrupulous men, who during the latter part of Abdu'l-Bahá's Ministry had became demoralized, with no choice but to creep into the limbo of ignominy and defeat, raised their heads once again when they saw a youth of twenty-five years of age at the helm. They thought they could wrest the leadership of the Bahá'à community from him, but soon discovered that they were gravely mistaken.
The Arch-breaker of the Covenant in the Holy Land, and a few of his supporters in America and Persia, actively tried to create division within the Community. Shortly before Shoghi Effendi's arrival in Haifa, the Greatest Holy Leaf sent a cable to the American believers which read: NOW IS PERIOD OF GREAT TESTS. THE FRIENDS SHOULD BE FIRM AND UNITED. NAKESEENS[1] STARTING ACTIVITIES THROUGH PRESS, OTHER CHANNELS ALL OVER WORLD. SELECT COMMITTEE OF WISE COOL HEADS TO HANDLE PRESS PROPAGANDA IN AMERICA. [25-12]
[1 Covenant-breakers.]
At the same time as Mirza Muhammad-'Ali was calling on the Bahá'Ãs to follow him as Abdu'l-Bahá's successor, he took ruthless action to take over the custody of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh for himself. Ruhiyyih Khanum describes this:
"Shortly after Abdu'l-Bahá's ascension, this disgruntled and perfidious half-brother had filed a claim, based on Islamic law (he who pretended he had still a right to be the successor of Bahá'u'lláh!), for a portion of the estate of Abdu'l-Bahá which he now claimed a right to as His brother. He had sent for his son, who had been living in America and agitating his father's claims there, to join him in this new and direct attack on the Master and His family. Not content with this exhibition of his true nature he applied to the civil authorities to turn over the custodianship of Bahá'u'lláh's Shrine to him on the grounds that he was Abdu'l-Bahá's lawful successor. The British authorities refused on the grounds that it appeared to be a religious issue; he then appealed to the Muslim religious head and asked the Mufti of Akka to take formal charge of Bahá'u'lláh's Shrine; this dignitary, however, said he did not see how he could do this as the Bahá'à teachings were not in conformity with Shariah law. All other avenues having failed he sent his younger brother, Badiullah, with some of their supporters, to visit the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh where, on Tuesday, 30 January, they forcibly seized the keys of the Holy Tomb from the Bahá'à caretaker, thus asserting Muhammad Ali's right to be the lawful custodian of his Father's resting-place. This unprincipled act created such a commotion in the Bahá'à Community that the Governor of Akka ordered the keys to be handed over to the authorities, posted guards at the Shrine, but went no further, refusing to return the keys to either party." [25-13]
Since Shoghi Effendi had arrived in Haifa, the shock of the announcement of his appointment as the Guardian of the Faith, coupled with the terrible ordeal of the passing of the Master, were taking their toll on his health. He was so crushed under the weight of bereavement that he could not even attend a memorial meeting for the Master which was held in His residence forty days after His ascension. Three weeks later, this latest transgression by the Covenant-breakers in laying hands on the sacred Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, came as a further blow.
Although the seizure of the key of the Shrine by this bitterest enemy brought further shock and sorrow to the tender and sensitive heart of Shoghi Effendi, yet, in spite of his physical weakness, the evidence of divine guidance was apparent in his actions, actions characterised by a resolve and a wisdom which called to mind the wisdom of Abdu'l-Bahá and His penetrating foresight. Shoghi Effendi appealed to the government for the return of the key, but his absence from the Holy Land, which lasted about eight months, postponed the issue. He pursued this matter with great diligence until full rights of possession were restored to him by the authorities. Ruhiyyih Khanum writes in greater detail about this episode:
"The matter which concerned Shoghi Effendi most, however, was the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahji. The keys of the inner Tomb were still held by the authorities; the right of access to other parts of the Shrine was accorded Bahá'Ãs and Covenant-breakers alike; the Bahá'à custodian looked after it as before, and any decision seemed in a state of abeyance. Shoghi Effendi never rested until, through representations he made to the authorities, backed by insistent pressure from Bahá'Ãs all over the world, he succeeded in getting the custody of the Holy Tomb back into his own hands. On 7 February 1923 he wrote to Tudor Pole: 'I have had a long talk with Col. Symes and have fully explained to him the exact state of affairs, the unmistakable and overwhelming voice of all the Bahá'à Community and their unshakable determination to stand by the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá. Recently sent a message to Muhammad Ali requiring from him the sum of .108. for the expenses of the policeman, contending that he being the aggressor is liable to this expense. So far he has not complied with this request and I await future developments with deep anxiety.'
"The following day Shoghi Effendi received this telegram from his cousin, who was in Jerusalem:
"His Eminence Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, Haifa.
"Letter received immediate steps taken the final decision by the High Commissioner is in our favour the key is yours." [25-14]
As time went on, the pressures from the Covenant-breakers increased. At the same time, there were some whom Abdu'l-Bahá had befriended, but who did not take Shoghi Effendi's leadership seriously because they thought he could never manage to govern the affairs of the Faith after Abdu'l-Bahá. These people created an uneasy situation within the Family by their negative attitude. For instance, when they noticed that Shoghi Effendi was not following the practice of Abdu'l-Bahá in attending the mosque every Friday, and that he wore European clothes, they gradually distanced themselves from the Bahá'à community.
It is important to note at this juncture that although Shoghi Effendi did not find it appropriate in his day, there had been great wisdom in Abdu'l-Bahá's attendance at the mosque during His Ministry. At the time of Bahá'u'lláh's arrival, the people of Akka considered a man who did not attend a mosque or a church to be an infidel. The Faith had neither formulated its teachings and laws, nor was its true identity known to the inhabitants of the Holy Land. It had been presented to the population as a misguided sect of unbelievers. In these circumstances, refusal to go to the mosque would have stigmatized Bahá'u'lláh and His companions as infidels. By attending the mosque they came to be regarded in the eyes of the public as believers in God. One of the useful by-products of attending the mosque was that Abdu'l-Bahá established a marvellous relationship with the people, and in time emerged, in the words of an admirer, as the 'Master of Akka'.
Bearing in mind his ill-health and the weight of the custodianship of so mighty a Cause which was so suddenly placed upon his shoulders, the pressures which were building up around Shoghi Effendi were intolerable. Under such circumstances he decided to leave the Holy Land for a temporary period during which he hoped to pray and commune with his Beloved in solitude, to regain his strength and confidence, and return to the duties which were awaiting him at the World Centre. He announced his decision in a letter he wrote in English to the Bahá'Ãs of the West, and in a similar one in Persian to the Bahá'Ãs of the East.
"He is God!
"This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity — the ascension of His Holiness Abdu'l-Bahá to the Abha Kingdom — has been so stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles (created) by the enemies of the Cause of God, that I consider my presence here, at such a time and in such an atmosphere, is not in accordance with the fulfillment of my important and sacred duties.
"For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time the affairs of the Cause, both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf — may my soul be a sacrifice to her — until, by the Grace of God, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service, I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration.
The servant of His Threshold,
Shoghi" [25-15]
At so crucial a time in the history of the Faith, the direction of the affairs of the Cause by the Holy Family headed by the Greatest Holy Leaf is yet more evidence of the invincibility of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. As we look back upon those critical days so soon after the passing of the Master, when the Covenant-breakers had embarked upon their relentless campaign of opposition, the departure of Shoghi Effendi from the Holy Land seemed, if we look at it from a human point of view, to provide an opportunity for the Covenant-breakers to manoeuvre divisions within the community. But there were no such ill effects. Although the Guardian had left, the believers remained united and steadfast in the Covenant. They rallied around the Greatest Holy Leaf, that noble figure who bore the weight of so great a responsibility during Shoghi Effendi's absence, and who handed the reins of the Cause back to him on his return. Through her writings she instilled the spirit of confidence into the Bahá'à community and directed the manifold efforts of the believers. These writings, addressed to the Bahá'Ãs of the East and the West, are inspiring, eloquent and soul-stirring. In their lucidity, profundity and style, they are similar to the Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá. In them the Greatest Holy Leaf urges the Bahá'Ãs to remain firm in their faith and steadfast in their love for the Guardian of the Cause of God. From the moment the Master passed away until her last breath, the Greatest Holy Leaf poured out upon Shoghi Effendi her loving support and protection. To attempt to recount her noble activities and splendid leadership during this period is beyond the scope of this book; suffice it to say that having rendered devoted services to Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá during the Heroic Age of the Faith, she played a vital role in the Formative Age. She was instrumental in helping to bring about a transition from that former Age into the latter. During Shoghi Effendi's absence from the Holy Land, she prepared the Bahá'à world for the advent of a new day in the fortunes of the Faith, and after his return she continued to support him in the work of the building of Bahá'u'lláh's new World Order.
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